The Orange County Register Girl Scouts drop Exploremores: Is the new ‘rocky road’ cookie worth the hype?
The Exploremore, a new Girl Scout Cookie for 2026, gets all dolled up for its unveiling in Irvine. (Photo by Brock Keeling, Orange County Register/SCNG)
September 30, 2025
By Brock Keeling | bkeeling@scng.com
UPDATED: September 30, 2025 at 8:44 AM PDT
There is a universally accepted truth in today’s America: Those with flawless taste who know Caramel deLites (née Samoas) are the reigning champion of Girl Scout Cookies, and those who are wrong.
But the ardent annual cookie pushers have a new challenger. The Girl Scouts of America just dropped Exploremores, a “rocky road” ice cream-inspired confection. I scored an invite to the VIP reveal party in Irvine on Thursday, Sept. 25 where I got an exclusive first-taste to see if the newbie was a threat to the reigning champ or just a glorified Tagalong.
Girls Scouts of Orange County CEO Vikki Shepp described the Exploremores as a “rocky road-inspired sandwich cookie” with a creamy filling that “evokes those flavors of almond, chocolate and marshmallow.” She would know; Shepp was on the innovation committee that spent three years developing the new cookie.
The rookie cookie is a chocolate sandwich one with a sweet, chocolate-hued
filling. Unlike the crumbly texture of an Oreo (from which the Exploremores take clear inspiration), the first bite delivered a pleasingly soft and slightly chewy texture, along with a subtle hint of marshmallow. It’s a pleasant, borderline nostalgic taste that’s hard not to like.
The “rocky road” inspiration, however, comes up a bit short. The almond note, either in textural or extract forms (Girls Scout’s official copy states that the cookies feature a “toasted almond-flavored crème”), was nearly absent, lost beneath the chocolate and sugar. If you’re looking for a true rocky road experience, you won’t find a crystal-clear interpretation here. But it’s still a rather tasty cookie that, if you squint hard enough, might evoke a scenic journey on the road of rockiness.
Does it dethrone the Caramel deLite? Alas, no. That would be a herculean task. Even Thin Mints (preferably frozen, of course), the obvious second-place contender can’t beat the trifecta of caramel, coconut and milk chocolate. (OK, fine: According to Shepp, Thin Mints are still the top seller, with Caramel deLite a “close second.”) But, sure, what with its creamy filling and pleasant chew, I’d safely put Exploremores up there with the best.
The event itself was a testament to the Girl Scout mission, a tradition as venerable as the cookies they sell. The sale of cookies started as a grassroots effort in 1917 when the cookies, usually simple sugar cookies, were originally home-baked by troop members with moms volunteering as advisers. This at-home fundraiser has since evolved into today’s program, which, while teaching girls entrepreneurial skills, helps fund activities and service projects.
The Girl Scouts sell roughly around 200 million boxes each year, according to a 2023 NPR report, with an estimated 700,000 Girl Scouts participating.
The cookie unveiling, fittingly, was held at Andrei’s Conscious Cuisine, a not-for-profit restaurant. Owner Natalia Ostensen, a onetime Girl Scout from Laguna Beach, shared her own memories with the organization, like developing deep friendships at meetings to singing songs and baking bread on a stick at camp.
The room, filled with special guests, including Michelin-star restaurateur Yassmin Sarmadi (who also declared Caramel deLites as her favorite, yet another sign of superior taste), was treated to seemingly endless rows of Girl Scout cookie-themed desserts.
The evening’s highlight, however, was 16-year-old Girl Scout Ambassador Tayva Veal from troop 2898 in Lake Forest. Veal shared how the organization taught her to “lead with compassion,” a lesson that helped in her recent heroic actions. Shepp announced that Veal earned the rare Girl Scout Saving Award, an accolade reserved for monumental acts of bravery; Veal, along with her mother, helped save the life of a Sand City Beach fisherman who lost his footing and collapsed, pulling him ashore.
Exploremore is a solid, sweet cookie contender that will be available when Girl Scout Cookie season arrives in Orange County. Online direct shipping and presale orders start January 6. Cookie in-hand sales happen from January 25 through March 15. Visit cookiesoc.org to find out when the fierce cookie plugs go live in your area.
